Cord lock device

ABSTRACT

A cord lock device includes a seat extended from a base for engaging with a cord and a shaft also extended from the base, and a pawl rotatably engaged onto the shaft and having a protrusion for engaging with the cord and for clamping and sandwiching the cord between the protrusion of the pawl and the seat of the plate member when the pawl is rotated in an active direction relative to the shaft, and the cord may be released from the protrusion of the pawl and the seat of the plate member when the pawl is rotated in a reverse direction relative to the shaft. The pawl and the seat may include a number of teeth for frictionally engaging with the cord. The base includes a projection having an orifice for receiving the cord.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a cord lock device, and moreparticularly to a cord lock device including a simplified structure forallowing the cord to be easily and quickly locked or fastened to thecord lock device and also to be easily and quickly unlocked orunfastened or released from the cord lock device with a single hand ofthe user.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Typical shoes or clothes comprise one or more cord lock devices orfastening devices attached thereon for engaging with the shoe laces orstrings and/or the cloth ropes, or the like and for releasably lockingor fastening the shoe laces or strings and/or the cloth ropes to theshoes or the clothes.

For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,138,839 to Mathes discloses one of thetypical tie ends securing devices comprising a base and a cap forclamping a cord or rope therebetween, and two holes or openings formedin the cap for receiving or threading the cord or rope. However, thetypical tie ends securing device includes a complicated configurationthat may not be operated with a single hand of the user.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,019 to Boden discloses another typical lockingassembly comprising a body including a central passage formed thereinfor engaging with a cord or rope, and a shiftable locking slide slidablyreceived in the central passage of the body for engaging with the cordor rope and for releasably locking or fastening the cord or rope to thebody. However, similarly, the typical locking device includes acomplicated configuration that may not be operated with a single hand ofthe user.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,336,636 to Ishiguro et al. discloses a further typicalfastening device comprising a casing including a pair of inwardly foldedportions, and a pair of symmetrical block members each having a chamberformed therein for engaging with or for threading a cord or rope and forbeing biased to engage with the cord or rope and for releasably lockingor fastening the cord or rope to the casing. However, similarly, thetypical fastening device includes a complicated configuration that maynot be operated with a single hand of the user.

The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate theafore-described disadvantages of the conventional cord lock devices.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary objective of the present invention is to provide a cord lockdevice including a simplified structure for allowing the cord to beeasily and quickly locked or fastened or secured to the cord lock deviceand also to be easily and quickly unlocked or unfastened or releasedfrom the cord lock device with a single hand of the user.

In accordance with one aspect of the invention, there is provided a cordlock device comprising a base including a seat extended from the basefor engaging with a cord, and including a shaft extended from the base,and a pawl rotatably engaged onto the shaft and including a protrusionextended therefrom for engaging with the cord and for clamping andsandwiching the cord between the protrusion of the pawl and the seat ofthe plate member when the pawl is rotated in an active directionrelative to the shaft, and the cord is arranged to be released from theprotrusion of the pawl and the seat of the plate member when the pawl isrotated in a reverse direction relative to the shaft.

The pawl includes a number of teeth extended therefrom for frictionallyengaging with the cord. The seat may also include a number of teethextended therefrom for frictionally engaging with the cord.

The base includes a projection extended therefrom and having an orificeformed therein for receiving the cord and for stably anchoring the cordto the base. The projection is located beside the seat.

The pawl includes a peg extended therefrom for engaging with the baseand for limiting the pawl to rotate relative to the shaft and the base.For example, the base includes a peripheral channel formed therein andlocated around the shaft for slidably receiving the peg of the pawl.

The base includes a fastener engaged with the pawl and the shaft forrotatably anchoring the pawl to the shaft. The base includes acompartment formed in the shaft for receiving the fastener, the pawlincludes a peripheral shoulder formed therein, and the fastener includesan enlarged head engaged into the peripheral shoulder of the pawl forrotatably anchoring the pawl to the shaft.

A spring biasing device may further be provided for biasing the pawl torotate relative to the shaft and includes a spring member engagedbetween the pawl and the shaft for biasing the pawl to rotate relativeto the shaft. The pawl includes a space for receiving the spring member.The pawl includes a slit formed therein, and the spring member includesone end portion engaged with the slit of the pawl. The shaft includes aslot formed therein, and the spring member includes the other endportion engaged with the slot of the shaft.

Further objectives and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from a careful reading of the detailed description providedhereinbelow, with appropriate reference to the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan schematic view illustrating an attachment of a cordlock device in accordance with the present invention onto an object,such as a shoe;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the cord lock device;

FIG. 3 is a cross sectional view of the cord lock device taken alonglines 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the cord lock device;

FIG. 5 is a cross sectional view of the cord lock device taken alonglines 5-5 of FIG. 4;

FIGS. 6, 7, 8 are perspective views similar to FIG. 2, illustrating theoperation of the cord lock device;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a cloth having a cord lock device inaccordance with the present invention attached thereon for releasablylocking or fastening the cord or rope to the cloth; and

FIG. 10 is an enlarged partial perspective view illustrating theattachment of the cord lock device to the cloth.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to the drawings, and initially to FIG. 1, a cord lock device10 in accordance with the present invention is provided for attachingonto various supporting objects 8, such as a shoe 8 (FIG. 1), a cloth 80(FIGS. 9, 10), or the like and for releasably locking or fastening atypical rope or cord 88 to the shoe 8 or to the cloth 80 (FIGS. 1, and6-10). As shown in FIGS. 1-4, the cord lock device 10 comprises a bodyor plate member 11 for being disposed in or engaged into the supportingobjects 8 and for being secured to the supporting objects 8 with such aslatches or fasteners or buckles (not shown), stitches or adhesivematerials, or by welding processes, or the like. The plate member 11 mayalso be secured to the outer portion of the supporting objects 8.

The plate member 11 of the cord lock device 10 includes a bulge or base12 extended upwardly from the body or plate member 11 for engaging withor through an opening 82 of the supporting objects 8 (FIGS. 1, 10) andthus for further anchoring the cord lock device 10 to the supportingobjects 8 and for preventing the cord lock device 10 from being movedlaterally or sidewise relative to the supporting objects 8, and thus forallowing the base 12 to be extended out of the supporting objects 8. Thecord lock device 10 further includes a swelling or seat 13 extendedupwardly or outwardly from the base 12 and having a serrated surface ora number of teeth 14 extended therefrom for frictionally engaging withthe cord 88 (FIGS. 1, 6, 7, 10).

The cord lock device 10 further includes a projection 15 extendedupwardly or outwardly from the base 12 and/or extended laterally fromthe seat 13 and/or located beside the seat 13 and having an orifice 16formed therein for receiving or engaging or threading the cord 88 andthus for stably anchoring the cord 88 to the base 12 or the plate member11 of the cord lock device 10. The plate member 11 or the cord lockdevice 10 further includes a hub or tube or shaft 17 extended upwardlyfrom the plate member 11 and having a compartment 18 formed therein andhaving a slot 19 formed in the outer peripheral portion thereof. Theplate member 11 or the cord lock device 10 further includes a peripheralchannel 20 formed in the upper portion of the plate member 11 or thebase 12 and formed or located around the shaft 17.

A follower or pawl 30 includes a bore 31 formed therein for receiving orengaging with the shaft 17 and thus for rotatably attaching or couplingor anchoring the pawl 30 to the shaft 17, and includes an enlargedperipheral recess or shoulder 32 formed in the upper portion of theshaft 17 and communicating with the bore 31 of the pawl 30. A rivet orfastener 33 is engaged into the bore 31 of the pawl 30 and also engagedinto the compartment 18 of the shaft 17 for rotatably locking oranchoring or fastening the pawl 30 to the shaft 17, and includes anenlarged head 34 provided on the upper portion of the fastener 33 andengaged into the peripheral shoulder 32 of the pawl 30 for furtherstably and rotatably locking or anchoring or fastening the pawl 30 tothe shaft 17.

The pawl 30 includes a protrusion 35 extended therefrom for engagingwith the cord 88 and arranged for allowing the cord 88 to be engagedwith or sandwiched or clamped or retained between the protrusion 35 ofthe pawl 30 and the seat 13 of the plate member 11 (FIGS. 6, 7). It ispreferable that the pawl 30 includes a number of teeth 36 extended fromthe protrusion 35 for frictionally engaging with the cord 88 and forfurther stably anchoring or clamping the cord 88 between the protrusion35 of the pawl 30 and the seat 13 of the plate member 11. It is arrangedthat the protrusion 35 or the teeth 36 of the pawl 30 will be caused tosolidly engage with the cord 88 when the pawl 30 is rotated in an activedirection relative to the shaft 17, or to release the cord 88 when thepawl 30 is rotated in a reverse or a release direction relative to theshaft 17.

In operation, as shown in FIG. 6, the protrusion 35 or the teeth 36 ofthe pawl 30 are arranged to be forced to rotate relative to the shaft 17and toward the seat 13 of the plate member 11 by the cord 88 or when thecord 88 is pulled in an active direction or when the pawl 30 is rotatedin the active direction relative to the shaft 17, for allowing the cord88 to be tightly fastened or clamped or retained between the protrusion35 of the pawl 30 and the seat 13 of the plate member 11. As shown inFIG. 7, when the cord 88 is pulled in a reverse direction or when thepawl 30 is rotated in the reverse or release direction relative to theshaft 17, the cord 88 may be released from the protrusion 35 of the pawl30 and the seat 13 of the plate member 11.

The pawl 30 includes a key or peg 37 extended downwardly from the lowerportion thereof (FIGS. 4, 5) for slidably engaging with the peripheralchannel 20 of the plate member 11 (FIG. 3) and for limiting the pawl 30to rotate relative to the shaft 17 or for limiting the protrusion 35 orthe teeth 36 of the pawl 30 to rotate relative to the seat 13 of theplate member 11 and thus for allowing the cord 88 to be suitablytightened or fastened or clamped or retained between the protrusion 35of the pawl 30 and the seat 13 of the plate member 11 or to be releasedfrom the protrusion 35 of the pawl 30 and the seat 13 of the platemember 11. As shown in FIG. 8, the cord 88 may also be directly pulledaway from the protrusion 35 of the pawl 30 and the seat 13 of the platemember 11 for allowing the cord 88 to be quickly released from theprotrusion 35 of the pawl 30 and the seat 13 of the plate member 11.

As shown in FIGS. 3-5, the pawl 30 further includes an enlarged space 38formed in the lower portion thereof and also communicating with the bore31 of the pawl 30 for receiving a spring biasing means or spring member40, such as a coil spring member 40 therein, and includes a slit 39formed therein and communicating with the enlarged space 38 of the pawl30. The spring member 40 includes one end portion 41 (FIG. 4) forengaging with the slot 19 of the shaft 17, and the other end portion 42for engaging with the slit 39 of the pawl 30 for allowing the springmember 40 to apply a spring biasing force against the pawl 30 and forbiasing the protrusion 35 or the teeth 36 of the pawl 30 to frictionallyengage with the cord 88 and to suitably clamp or retain the cord 88between the protrusion 35 of the pawl 30 and the seat 13 of the platemember 11.

In operation, as shown in FIGS. 6-8, the user may only use his one handto pull the cord 88 and to suitably engage the cord 88 between theprotrusion 35 of the pawl 30 and the seat 13 of the plate member 11(FIG. 6), or to release the cord 88 from the protrusion 35 of the pawl30 and the seat 13 of the plate member 11 (FIG. 7), or to directlydisengage the cord 88 from the protrusion 35 of the pawl 30 and the seat13 of the plate member 11 (FIG. 8), such that the cord lock device 10may be easily used or operated with a single hand of the user. The cordlock device 10 may also be suitably attached onto various supportingobjects 8.

Accordingly, the cord lock device in accordance with the presentinvention includes a simplified structure for allowing the cord to beeasily and quickly locked or fastened or secured to the cord lock deviceand also to be easily and quickly unlocked or unfastened or releasedfrom the cord lock device with a single hand of the user.

Although this invention has been described with a certain degree ofparticularity, it is to be understood that the present disclosure hasbeen made by way of example only and that numerous changes in thedetailed construction and the combination and arrangement of parts maybe resorted to without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention as hereinafter claimed.

1. A cord lock device comprising: a base including a seat extended fromsaid base for engaging with a cord, and including a shaft extended fromsaid base, and a pawl rotatably engaged onto said shaft and including aprotrusion extended therefrom for engaging with said cord and forclamping and sandwiching said cord between said protrusion of said pawland said seat of said plate member when said pawl is rotated in anactive direction relative to said shaft, and said cord being arranged tobe released from said protrusion of said pawl and said seat of saidplate member when said pawl is rotated in a reverse direction relativeto said shaft.
 2. The cord lock device as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid pawl includes a plurality of teeth extended therefrom forfrictionally engaging with said cord.
 3. The cord lock device as claimedin claim 1, wherein said seat includes a plurality of teeth extendedtherefrom for frictionally engaging with said cord.
 4. The cord lockdevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base includes a projectionextended therefrom and having an orifice formed therein for receivingsaid cord and for stably anchoring said cord to said base.
 5. The cordlock device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said projection is locatedbeside said seat.
 6. The cord lock device as claimed in claim 1, whereinsaid pawl includes a peg extended therefrom for engaging with said baseand for limiting said pawl to rotate relative to said shaft and saidbase.
 7. The cord lock device as claimed in claim 6, wherein said baseincludes a peripheral channel formed therein and located around saidshaft for slidably receiving said peg of said pawl.
 8. The cord lockdevice as claimed in claim 1, wherein said base includes a fastenerengaged with said pawl and said shaft for rotatably anchoring said pawlto said shaft.
 9. The cord lock device as claimed in claim 8, whereinsaid base includes a compartment formed in said shaft for receiving saidfastener, said pawl includes a peripheral shoulder formed therein, andsaid fastener includes a head engaged into said peripheral shoulder ofsaid pawl for rotatably anchoring said pawl to said shaft.
 10. The cordlock device as claimed in claim 1 further comprising means for biasingsaid pawl to rotate relative to said shaft.
 11. The cord lock device asclaimed in claim 10, wherein said biasing means includes a spring memberengaged between said pawl and said shaft for biasing said pawl to rotaterelative to said shaft.
 12. The cord lock device as claimed in claim 11,wherein said pawl includes a space for receiving said spring member. 13.The cord lock device as claimed in claim 11, wherein said pawl includesa slit formed therein, and said spring member includes one end portionengaged with said slit of said pawl.
 14. The cord lock device as claimedin claim 11, wherein said shaft includes a slot formed therein, and saidspring member includes one end portion engaged with said slot of saidshaft.